MMAmania.com is reporting that Chris Leben has been sentenced to a jail stint that may jeopardize his next scheduled bout:

…middleweight fighter Chris Leben was today sentenced to 35 days in jail. No other details were available at this time.

As explained by T. Jay Thompson, a friend of Leben’s, the UFC contender turned himself in to Oregon authorities in order to settle a DUI he was charged within ‘05. Leben needs a travel visa after he was booked to fight at UFC 85 in London against Michael Bisping, something he would not qualify for without settling his debt with the state. Leben has been living in Hawaii and was unsuccessful in transferring his probation to his new home state.

Update: According to Sherdog.com, Leben has now been pulled off of the UFC 85 card vs. Bisping. The UFC was apparently prepared for this possibility and already has backup plans in place. According to MMARated.com, Nate Quarry appears to be one of the possible alternatives to face Bisping.

The word from Josh Barnett himself on MMAWeekly Radio:

Barnett said the fight with (Pedro) Rizzo was “pretty much” a done deal and he’s looking forward to the opportunity to fight on the debut Affliction card.

The two last met in 2001 at UFC 30, ending in what Barnett calls a “really nice, well put together Pedro Rizzo right hand.” The second round knockout was Barnett’s first professional loss. The addition of the rematch to the Affliction card is only the second confirmed bout, the first being the main event featuring Fedor Emelianenko vs. Tim Sylvia. Matt Lindland is also scheduled to fight but his opponent has not been named.

Since their last meeting, Barnett’s and Rizzo’s careers have gone in opposite directions. Barnett left the UFC and his title amid controversy surrounding a failed drug test, finding massive success in PRIDE and professional wrestling in Japan. Rizzo continued in the UFC, failing twice in his bid for the heavyweight title against Randy Couture. After dropping four of his last seven fights, he followed Barnett to PRIDE with little success. After two wins in the Dallas-based UAFC “Art of War” promotion over UFC veterans Justin Eilers and Jeff Monson, Rizzo is seemingly on the comeback trail.

Red Sweat is also reporting that the debut event is titled “Banned”, with Affliction’s collective tongues firmly planted in their cheeks. After being banned from appearing at UFC and EliteXC events due to the clothing company’s upstart promotion, it’s only too appropriate a name.

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Hours after announcing the new main event for UFC 85, UFC.com’s official fight card has confirmed a rumored middleweight clash between Chris Leben and England native Michael Bisping. Bisping signed up for the event, slated for June 7, despite fighting last weekend at UFC 83, a TKO victory over the now-retired Charles McCarthy. Leben is also coming off a TKO victory, a 1st round win over Alessio Sakara at UFC 82. The new lineup:

• Thiago Alves vs. Matt Hughes
• Brandon Vera vs. Fabricio Werdum
• Michael Bisping vs. Chris Leben
• Marcus Davis vs. Mike Swick
• Rashad Evans vs. James Irvin
• Thales Leites vs. Nate Marquardt
• Martin Kampmann vs. Jorge Rivera
• Thiago Tavares vs. Matt Wiman
• Luiz Cane vs. Jason Lambert
• Antoni Hardonk vs. Neil Wain
• Roan Carneiro vs. TBD

With Chuck Liddell off the card due to a torn hamstring, UFC brass was forced to scramble to make up for the loss of the scheduled headlining bout between Liddell and Rashad Evans. Earlier today, the new top fight was announced, a welterweight match between future Hall of Famer Matt Hughes and rising star Thiago Alves. While the addition of two high-profile fighters duking it out is an outstanding way of making up for the loss of the arguably the UFC’s most popular fighter, adding a local favorite is a huge coup for the UFC, especially on such short notice. Bisping, the outspoken winner of season 3 of “The Ultimate Fighter”, is a fan favorite on both sides of the Atlantic and should soothe most complaints of the event lacking the star power of its original form.

It’s nice to see a card full of solid, exciting matchups, title implications be damned. The UFC could’ve packed it in after the loss of Liddell and put on another Validation-esque disappointment, but Dana White and co. performed a noteworthy salvage operation. It’s ironic that part of that salvage crew was none other than Bisping, often noted as the captain of the last leaky barge called UFC 78. It’s downright karmic that Bisping’s first mate on that disaster, Rashad Evans, was in danger from being bumped from the main event to a dark match, only to be rescued by the Marquardt vs. Leites match being pushed off the broadcast in his stead.

Liddell’s faulty hamstring shook things up in a big way. While title implications did indeed take a backseat, the gap between the two iterations are not as wide as they seem at first glance. The co-main event of Brandon Vera vs. Fabricio Werdum will settle #1 contender status at heavyweight. Hughes vs. Alves realistically only holds contender value for Alves, but Hughes’ name alone makes the matchup a no-brainer. The longtime champ is relegated to Rich Franklin-status at welterweight, stuck on the top rung but no longer able to make it to the top, but if Matt Hughes is your division gatekeeper you’re doing something right.

The middleweight scene should also be a little less fuzzy at the end of the night. The return of Martin Kampmann against a born again Jorge Rivera should be a good gauge of where Kampmann is after a long injury layoff. Nate Marquardt continues his comeback trail in a rescheduled bout with the dangerous Thales Leites. Surprisingly, Bisping vs. Leben may be the most telling middleweight matchup of the night. Bisping’s drop to 185 has breathed new life into a division with one chief and a whole lot of indians; there are already premature and seemingly-lopsided rumbles in the MMAverse of a matchup with kingpin Anderson Silva. The magic 8-ball says it won’t happen any time soon, but any intrigue to an uneven division is welcome.

It’s also worth noting that White promised 13 bouts for UFC 85, which means there are two more fights yet to be announced. This level of overcompensation has reached Italian sportscar levels, but we’re not complaining.

Check out more UFC 85 content on FiveOuncesofPain.com!

On the April 25 episode of Inside MMA, Ron Kruck announced the official partnership between HDNet and FEG to bring the DREAM series to the Western Hemisphere. With the long rumored deal now official, HDNet will be the broadcast home for the fledgling series in North America. The deal comes a shade late for HDNet to show DREAM.2 live, but fans will have a chance to catch up next weekend. DREAM.1 took place in March and will be aired next Friday, May 2 and DREAM.2, slated for next Tuesday, will be aired on Saturday, May 3. Both programs will begin at 10:30 PM EST.

The announcement comes on the heels of news that Tokyo Broadcasting System, DREAM’s TV home in Japan, has removed the series from its lineup for good. DREAM.2 will still air on TBS but instead of the live event, the show will be edited into one-hour installments and shown in less watched afternoon and late night time slots. The rest of the series will be moved over to Japanese PPV outlet SkyPerfecTV.

The lovechild of FEG and former PRIDE staffers may still die with a whimper in the end, but partnering with HDNet will give fans a long-awaited legitimate outlet for MMA events in the far east. With four more events planned for 2008 after DREAM.2, the strenuous pace DREAM is keeping may not live to see the end of the year. A peek at what may be Japan’s most ambitious effort after the fall of PRIDE however is worth HDNet’s subscription price. Catch it while you can…

Check out more DREAM content on FiveOuncesofPain.com!

UPDATE: Quick refresh on the pertinent details to this story. According to Sherdog, DREAM.2 was never scheduled to appear on TBS. Only four live primetime slots were available and those were reserved for the inaugural event and the GP finals, DREAM.5 and DREAM.6. The prelims and another event scheduled to take place in South Korea can be viewed live on SkyPerfectTV PPV and also in the edited formats on TBS.

Apologies for the incorrect details in the original article.

The Sengoku II card is filling out with another intriguing matchup, a heavyweight fight between two UFC and PRIDE veterans. Nightmare of Battle reports:

Josh Barnett will take on Jeff Monson in what might be the main event of the card.

Barnett is coming off a heelhook victory over Hidehiko Yoshida at the inaugural World Victory Road event, Sengoku I held earlier this year. Monson was also victorious in his last bout over Hakim Goram at PFP’s Ring of Fire show in Manila, ironically as a member of Team Barnett. The two are longtime friends and training partners, but that hasn’t bothered Barnett in the past, evidenced by his painful submission over another close friend in Yoshida.

No word yet on an opponent for Roger Gracie in what surely will be a co-main event. Other intriguing fights on the card are Yuki Sasaki vs. Jorge Santiago and the return of Yoshihiro Nakao, the infamous kissing bandit who got knocked out in his unitard by Heath Herring after in ill-advised pre-fight smooch.

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Big ups to BloodyElbow. I scanned UFC.com this morning and missed this little blurb on their calendar:

United States: Live on Spike TV on the east coast, tape delayed for the west coast.

A dangerously mediocre card just got a little tastier with the big “FREE” sticker that seems to have been applied. The broadcast will begin live at 3PM EST, like all cards from the Merry Ol’. The fight card took a huge hit when Chuck Liddell was removed from his scheduled fight against Rashad Evans due to a hamstring injury (evidenced by a “Give It Away” type closeup of his inner thigh). Whether the cancellation of the original main event caused the move to free TV is unknown.

The official Fight Card still shows the Fabricio Werdum vs. Brandon Vera fight as the headliner. The rumored bout between native English fighter Michael Bisping and Team Quest product Chris Leben is yet to be announced, but word is Leben is already signed to fight on the card. Assuming James Irvin has had all shards of Houston Alexander’s chin successfully removed from his right hand, he’s as good as booked to step in for Liddell. Irvin vs. Evans is supposedly already confirmed, but the website has yet to reflect the change.

Check out more UFC 85 content on FiveOuncesofPain.com!

*UPDATE*

A very nice man named Caleb Newby of NOKAUT.com has word directly from SpikeTV that the broadcast was never slated to be free. The reference made by the post above was an error on UFC.com that was corrected earlier today. I apologize for the gratuitous false hope. UFC 85’s status may still change, but for now it’s definitely a PPV event.

The Kalib Starnes frenzy is all but passed, but there’s one final note that further underscores the ineffectiveness of his last outing versus Nate Quarry. Rami Genauer posted a revealing article on Yahoo! Sports regarding Starnes’ stats from UFC 83:

I never thought it would come to this, but the fight between Nate Quarry and Kalib Starnes actually broke the FightMetric system. The stats for this fight were so unusual that the system simply did not have rules in place to handle the scores.

Since the FightMetric system is mostly unfamiliar to fans, it can be difficult to understand the metrics that were gathered from the matchup. For a little perspective:

In the first round, Nate Quarry racked up an effectiveness score of 104. That’s certainly an above-average round, with the typical fighter scoring about 60 points per round. The curious thing was that Starnes scored just two points in the round. That means a ratio of 52-to-1 in favor of Quarry. That’s by far the widest margin in any complete round we’ve tracked. As mentioned above, FightMetric calls a round 10-8 when a fighter scores over 100 and has a score more than six times his opponent’s score. What do you do with a score 52 times the opponent’s?

Not much of an opinion to add here since Genauer pretty much said it all. The Starnes debacle is reaching its sorry conclusion, but applying measurables to the fight shines a tangible light on Starnes’ disgrace of a performance. Since I personally will never be locked in a cage with an angry man I try to refrain from criticizing the willing and able, but a 2 point performance is indefensible for anyone who deems themselves a professional fighter.

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It’s late and my GI system isn’t agreeing with my wife’s chili, but I thought I’d take a few moments and share my notebook here at 5 Oz. Very solid show overall. Sagged a bit in the middle but the return to glory of a couple of crowd favorites ended the show on a high.

The Presentation

Outstanding overall. I still missed Joe Rogan but Kenny Florian was impressive in his debut is a stand in. One of my favorite things about Rogan isn’t so much the somewhat repetitive technical dialogue he adds but the excitement he infuses into the broadcast. Florian was able to amp up the energy level while adding some nice comments of his own. His personality in the post-fight interviews was evident and sorely missing in other promotions’ broadcasts. The filler between fights was not overly intrusive and the night moved on at a solid clip. My favorite moment of the night was Georges St. Pierre’s walk to the Octagon. Very smart decision by the production crew to go silent with the commentary and let the crowd be heard celebrating their hometown boy.

The Fights

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For a guy that claims to loathe the tournament system, Dana White and the UFC put on an awesome facsimile of one last Wednesday during UFC Fight Night 13. Of the 12 fights scheduled, lightweight bouts rolled two-thirds deep and included arguably five of the top 10 fighters in the stacked division. The man second in line for a title shot, Kenny Florian, headlined yet another Fight Night, making it two of the last three. The UFC, almost begging to validate his place in line in the court of public opinion, finally got its wish and may have settled a lot more of the picture in the process.

Rankings are a difficult and much-contested black art, especially after the top five in most UFC weight divisions. Personal opinions (of the fans and of the men in charge), the pitfalls of MMAth and the incessant yammering from the business aspect of fighting are constant hurdles in sorting out the names on paper. It also doesn’t help that the man who holds the keys, UFC matchmaker Joe Silva, is as accessible and easy to read as a treatise on Indian tax law written in Sanskrit.

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That’s the word according to Thiago Alves himself. From an MMAJunkie.com report on Alves’ appearance on TAGG Radio:

“Right now I heard I’m right behind Jon Fitch,” Alves said. “That’s what (UFC matchmaker) Joe Silva told me.”

Coming off a stunning knockout of Karo Parisyan at UFN 13, Alves has jumped to second in line for a chance at the welterweight belt. The long-debated positioning of Pariysan and Fitch was settled when Fitch was tabbed a few weeks ago for the first shot at the belt after the rematch between Georges St. Pierre and Matt Serra on April 19 at UFC 83. Parisyan and Alves were the popular choices to take the third slot and Alves’ definitive victory cemented his status as number three on the chart.

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Nightmare of Battle found a nice nugget about Melvin Manhoef’s next bout in an interview by fightnewz.net:

On May 11 I’m going to fight a single match in the DREAM light heavyweight tournament and on May 17 I will maybe fight in England.

Manhoef, once a rumored participant in the DREAM Middleweight Grand Prix, is signed up for a single light heavyweight bout during the second round of the Lightweight Grand Prix. The bout will be the second fight in two weeks for the Dutch kickboxer, the first being a K-1 rules matchup against fellow Suriname native Remy Bonjasky. No word so far on his opponent, or his expected plans to fight the following week in England.

Check out more DREAM content of FiveOuncesofPain.com!

According to MMAPayout.com, BodogFIGHT is breathing its last breaths:

Most of the company’s employees have been let go, there are no events planned…there is no new TV deal, and a recently proposed small budget…by Jeff Osborne was turned down.

The rumor, attributed to Dave Meltzer’s Wrestling Observer, also claims Bodog lost $38 Million in 2007. I’m assuming that number refers only to BodogFIGHT, not the company as a whole. If so, that’s a giant number for what was a middling promotion at best. It may be a drop in the bucket for Bodog founder Calvin Ayre, who’s a perennial contender for the title of “Best Life Ever”, but that kind of loss clearly illustrates what kind of hardships can be expected when breaking into the MMA game.

As a side note, if true this would be the second promotion in as many months to fold after having something to do with King Anti-Midas, Fedor Emelianenko and his elite management team. Whoever signs him next better sign Tsuyoshi Kosaka, so far the only known antibody for Emelianenkitis.

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MMAPayout’s Adam Swift is reporting UFC and ESPN execs are rumored to have met recently regarding a “strategic partnership”:

While Spike is the official cable home of the UFC, there is no longer an ABC Sports division, only ESPN on ABC, leading to speculation that such a partnership could lead to live events on ABC.

Swift applied a giant “unconfirmed” sticker to the report, but on its face this type of partnership is along the lines of the long-term, big picture thinking Zuffa brass has shown a penchant for. ESPN and ABC both are high-profile networks under the Disney Co. banner and reach a potentially higher number of households than the EliteXC/CBS-SHOWTIME or Strikeforce/NBC deals. Both are available in almost all basic packages, traditionally cater to varying demographics and are highly-regarded in sports programming and production.

On a more subjective note, a clearly defined MMA segment on ESPN’s news programs will score a ton of legitimacy points. SportsCenter is the gold standard of sports news programming and already touches on most big-time MMA events. The regular insertion of MMA-centric segments would go a long away in the wider acceptance of a misunderstood and much-maligned combat sport.

Of course, Dana White and Co.’s track record with the major network is dodgy to say the least, usually stemming from issues of production control. However, if this rumor is credible it suits the UFC’s desire for a smarter, wider-spanning deal than those signed by its competitors.

For more on this story, stay tuned to FiveOuncesofPain.com!

Nightmare of Battle is reporting three matchups for the opening round of the DREAM Middleweight Grand Prix:

In one fight Kazushi Sakuraba will face Brazilian born Kyokushin Karate fighter Andrews Nakahara. In the second two legends will collide as Kiyoshi Tamura takes on Masakatsu Funaki. In the last announced fight Pride veterans Denis Kang and Gegard Mousasi will meet.

Sakuraba participating in the tournaments comes as somewhat of a surprise. It was reported earlier that the aging superstar seemed hesitant to compete in the Grand Prix though admitted he wanted to fight in April. The assumption was he’d fight at DREAM.2, but in a standard bout outside of the tournament.

The initial hope was for Sakuraba and Kiyoshi Tamura to meet in the first round, the long-awaited fight finally being booked, but matching Sakuraba against an MMA neophyte is almost a sure pass to next round. Nakahara’s Karate background seems like the big player in the fight selection, setting up a likely second round meeting with the winner of Tamura vs. Funaki.

Kang vs. Mousasi will be an interesting fight. Mousasi has been on a tear, riding a 7-fight winning streak entering the tournament. The 22 year-old Armenian has won his last four fights via KO or TKO but is a well-rounded fighter who’s no stranger on the ground. Kang is coming off a knockout loss to another possible tournament participant, Yoshihiro Akiyama. This is far from a rebound fling for Kang, but when his head is right he has the skills and experience to pull out a win over the young Mousasi.

Matchups for the other tournament participants have not yet been announced on DREAM’s website. The prospective list so far includes Akiyama, Ronaldo Jacare, Ikuhisa Minowa, Dong Sik Yoon, Kin Taiei and Shungo Oyama.

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MMAJunkie.com has posted a statement that Ken Shamrock issued in response to the accusation of steroid use by his adoptive brother, Strikeforce middleweight champ Frank Shamrock:

In making such a reckless and irresponsible statement, Frank has attacked my character. As such, I unfortunately find it necessary to respond to his allegations. I’m not sure what his motives were, but Frank’s allegations are absolutely false.

In the somewhat surprisingly lucid and level-headed statement, Ken points out that Frank’s allegations not only slight him but the industry as a whole, from fighters to promoters. He claims to have never tested positive and mentions the new testing regulations recently instituted in Nevada by the NSAC.

Ken ends the statement with a simple request:

Frank should acknowledge that his comments were without merit and irresponsible, and apologize for the disparaging remarks he has made towards the fighters, promoters, and to the various athletic commissions who regulate MMA.

Good luck with that, Ken. Frank’s statement was indeed weaksauce and a line was crossed if it was an attempt to build hype for the slowly rotting idea of a Shamrock Brothers fight. That said, Frank is almost single-handedly keeping Strikeforce in the limelight as a relevant promotion and his name is hotter than ever. He exudes the “any publicity is good publicity” mindset and he’s got us hooked and reeling. Unfortunately, even if Ken is innocent the truth hardly matters. There’s no burden of proof on Frank and all eyes are on him, which was exactly the point.

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Touch of gloves to CagePotato for putting these two items together. I’m late to the party with this but I felt compelled to add since I’ve become the de facto DREAM fanboy here at 5Oz. First, SukiMMA reported that Kazushi Sakuraba is out of the DREAM.2 middleweight tournament due to an unhealed wound on his leg:

“I got a small scab on my leg which was till bleeding, so I won’t fight in the tournament. I want to fight in April though.”

A confusing statement since DREAM.2 is scheduled for April 29. He can’t fight then but he can fight on the 30th? Strange, but he does plainly states he’s out of the tournament.

In his last fight against Masakatsu Funaki at K-1’s NYE ‘07 show, Sakuraba was sporting a gauze-wrapped leg that began spotting halfway through the 1st round. I doubt it’s the same wound four months later, but when your body doesn’t heal properly that’s usually a sign of a larger problem, either physiological or behavioral. Most aging fighters don’t quit because they can’t fight, they quit because their bodies can’t handle training. At 38 years-old, Saku fought four times in 2007 and may repeat that output in 2008. It’s still neat to see him fight, but I’d hate to think it’s at the expense of his health after fighting.

Another downer is a possible fight with Kiyoshi Tamura is yet again off the books. It would’ve been another Senior MMA Tour bout like the Funaki fight, but another long-awaited matchup could’ve finally been settled in every MMA Japanerd’s fight log.

In what might be the most awesome replacement since Wally Pipp complained of a headache, BloodyElbow reported on Throwdown Gear’s site announcing that Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza will be participating in the middleweight tournament:

Throwdown: When is your next MMA fight & with what organization?

Jacare: April 29, 2008 for DREAM 2 in Japan 185lbs weight.

I’ve seen Jacare’s grappling matches and MMA bouts on the various video sites and this guy is a specimen. The ADCC 2005 runner-up has had a slow but smooth introduction to the fight game and it will be interesting to see how he looks against higher competition. A fight with any of the prospective fighters announced would be a valid test of his current skillset.

Jacare is touted highly for his five-star grappling and successful transition into MMA but is shrouded in a bit of mystery. The majority of his fights have taken place in Brazil out of the mainstream promotions. His name most recently came up as a possible UFC signee who would boost the sagging middleweight division. Dana White confirmed that negotiations did indeed take place but Jacare’s team was asking for “crazy money.” The fact DREAM has him signed to a tournament is yet another sign the fledgling promotion is here to stay.

Check out more DREAM content on FiveOuncesofPain.com!

After reading the RedSweat article “4 MMA Fights That Never Should Have Happened,” I ran across Todd Yeakle’s titillating new post regarding Mirko Filipovic’s next opponent:

According to the Sport Index at Index.hr, Mirko Filipovic will be fighting Sergei Kharitonov at the upcoming DREAM.4 event in mid June.

According to the article, Crocop was suppose to fight Kharitonov at the recent DREAM.1 event but Mirko turned down the bout stating that Sergei would be too tough a match for him after a six month break.

I guess my Latin prayers and self-flagellation worked. The latest rumors regarding Crocop’s next opponent involved none other than Hong Man Choi, who’s popularity is as vexing and appealing as Star Jones. If the report is true, this will be the first legitimate fight for Crocop since beginning his UFC hiatus. Kharitonov boasts some wins over manga-esque kickboxer Alistair Overeem, UFC contender Fabricio Werdum, Pedro Rizzo when he still had some life in his hands and K-1 champ Semmy Schilt. The Russian has struggled with injuries recently and fought only twice in ‘07, but is still young and is far from the mater cans Crocop’s been facing as of late. This could be another vapor bout Japan’s notorious for, but it’s at least hope we’re not in line for another freakshow.

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The repurposed Japan MMA website Nightmare of Battle posted the names of nine fighters announced (or hinted) at the DREAM.1 event that will compete in the first round of the middleweight grand prix scheduled for April 29 at DREAM.2:

Seven fighters were present and announced for the GP during DREAM.1, they were: Kazushi Sakuraba, Yoon Dong Sik, Yoshihiro Akiyama, Minowaman, Kiyoshi Tamura, Kin Taiei and Masakatsu Funaki. Also, Kiyoshi Tamura and Denis Kang are on the event poster, so expect them to participate.

Some pretty big hitters, but the MW roster doesn’t pack the more relevant punch of the lightweight tournament. Sakuraba and Funaki are surefire seat-fillers in Japan; in the US however, they lack the same drawing power. The two legends are also past their prime, but that matters less in their home country than it does to the top-10 crazed crowd in the US. Another bit of senior intrigue is the inclusion of RINGS veteran Kiyoshi Tamura in the tourney. A long-awaited bout between Tamura and Sakuraba might finally come to fruition. The two former pro-wrestling mates have long talked about hashing out their differences in the ring during the PRIDE days but for one reason or another the fight never happened. Here’s hoping DREAM doesn’t out think themselves and pairs these two up in the opening round and proves once and for all that in fact, professional wrestling is strong.

The early favorites are Akiyama and Kang, which in itself would make for a pretty good rematch. The two fought last September at a K-1 event. The fight ended in one of the more spectacular knockouts of the year that left Kang, glassy-eyed and sans mouthpiece, heaped against the turnbuckle corner from an Akiyama uppercut. Depending on the pairings, a rematch between Akiyama and Sakuraba holds less implications but more intrigue. They last fought on NYE ‘06, also at a K-1 event, in a bout that was later ruled a No Contest due to Akiyama saying no to dry skin and lotioning between rounds. The already marginally disliked ethnic Korean was further vilified for being caught “cheating” against a Japanese legend. This would prove to be a recurring theme in Akiyama’s relatively young career.

The most recent controversy regarding Akiyama however will not get a chance at closure. Top middleweight Kazuo Misaki, who Akiyama fought on NYE ‘07 at the Yarrenoka! event, is not likely to participate due to his recent signing with the US-based promotion Strikeforce. Yet another No Contest on Akiyama’s dance card, the bout’s ruling was overturned when video revealed Misaki ended the fight with an illegal soccer kick.

The other seven slots are yet unfilled but the rumor mill is churning. In a Sherdog report, mid-level names like Karl Amoussou and former PRIDE up-and-comer Gegard Mousasi are being thrown out there as possible contenders. Also mentioned as a possibility is fading prospect Zelg Galesic, the knockout artist once labeled as a smaller but just as kicky version of Mirko Crocop. The pickings for US fighters remains slim; chances are Kang will be the only fighter unofficially representing North America through his birth in Baby France, St. Pierre and Miquelon, hanging off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada.

The lightweight tournament held last weekend had the potential to be a barn-burner but didn’t live up to the hype, culminating in the disappointing No Contest in the much-anticipated Calvancante vs. Aoki fight. The middleweight tournament may turn out to be the opposite: middling names and matchups that hopefully produce exciting fights. DREAM is off to a rocky but still promising start and DREAM.2 is slated to be the first “near live” event aired on HDNet. A good show for the US crowd will be just what the doctor ordered for Japan’s MMA promotion reincarnate to take hold with North American fans.

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On the latest episode of HDNet’s Inside MMA, originally aired on March 14, the word is that Pancrase and PRIDE veteran Kazuo Misaki has signed a two fight deal with Strikeforce, according to Ron Kruck. His first fight for the San Jose-based promotion will also be the middleweight’s second appearance in North America.

Misaki’s last fight ended with a guillotine victory over Afghan fighter Siyar Bahadurzada at World Victory Road’s inaugural event. Misaki’s most noteworthy recent fight however was his controversial bout with Yoshihiro Akiyama at Yarrenoka! on NYE ‘07. Originally ruled a win over the oft-vilified Akiyama, the fight-ending soccer kick was later ruled illegal and the bout called a No Contest.

Misaki is no stranger to the big stage with victories over big names such as Dan Henderson, Denis Kang and Phil Baroni. He also has losses to Ricardo Almeida and Nate Marquardt on his ledger and fought Jake Shields to a draw in 2003. The middleweight division is a strength of the Strikeforce’s stable of fighters, including the headliners for the promotion’s huge March 29 event, Frank Shamrock and Cung Le. A rematch with Baroni is also possible.

No additional details yet on the contract or his first fight. Check in with FiveOuncesOfPain.com for the latest on Misaki’s signing!

The race to a network deal has a clear winner. In an exclusive, MMAJunkie is reporting a deal between the fledgling promotion’s parent company and network giant CBS:

ProElite Inc., the parent company of Elite Xtreme Combat, is expected to announce a deal with CBS that will put MMA on major network television for the first time.

Sources close to the deal tell MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) that an agreement has been reached between CBS and the Los Angeles-based ProElite. However, officials could not publicly comment on the matter.

The details are still a bit dim at the moment, but the report does state the events are slated for prime time every other month. No further details have been made public.

Considering EliteXC currently has a deal with Showtime, a CBS network, it was a natural fit for the promotion to graduate to the big time after the huge success that was EliteXC: Street Certified. What is surprising is that the UFC, far and away the MMA juggernaut promotion, went home with nothing. UFC president Dana White has talked about CBS negotiations numerous times and even recently announced a road trip where he guaranteed a deal with a major network. Two-timing is nothing new in sports programming, so having EliteXC events on one channel and a competing promotion like the UFC on another wouldn’t have been too conspicuous for CBS to do if they could come to a deal. For ProElite to score clean sweep of two high-profile channels from the UFC is astounding.

Having the UFC in the driver’s seat is a much more comfortable visual, but they lost this battle and the hope lies with EXC to do the right thing. Creative control was a huge sticking point in the negotiations between White and numerous network suitors. Hopefully production responsibilities are part of this deal. Judging from EXC’s events’ production values, handing over the reigns to CBS and its team would be a step up.

My personal hopes are for EliteXC president and stereotypical tracksuit scumbag Gary Shaw to up the ante and focus on matchups that showcase the sport. Whether they know it or not, whether we like it or not, this puts EliteXC as the torch-bearer for the image of MMA in the public eye. No more Krazy Horse bail shenanigans, no more double-birds from its contenders and no more bearded ladies-esque attractions like Slice vs. Abbott. EXC has a robust enough roster to show casual fans and critics alike to demonstrate how exciting MMA and its athletes are — if Shaw will allow it. Gina Carano is a somewhat known commodity, Jake Shields‘ and Robbie Lawler’s skills and styles can build a fanbase and Kimbo Slice is Kimbo Slice. He can garner the attention, let’s hope Shaw focuses that cashcow in a direction that’s not only good for his flimsy, windproof frontpockets but also good for the portrayal of the sport. This deal does not legitimize MMA, it’s merely a very large step on that path. The near-future of MMA, ranging from fighter salaries and merchandising to state sanctioning and big-time advertisers, hinges on decisions big and small EliteXC and CBS will have to make on a daily basis. Let’s hope they make the right choices.

Or maybe I’m just bitter at seeing Bas Rutten in a f’ing ‘Reality Kings’ t-shirt again…

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